The Televisual Commercials 30
Jon Creamer introduces Televisual's exclusive annual report, the Commercials 30, and finds that while budgets are down and production companies are under threat from agency in-house units, commercials producers are finding new horizons beyond ads too.

Commercials 30: Best in Show
Commercials producers also get to vote for their favourite directors, stand out ads and top rated agencies along with their favourite post houses, editors and vfx ops. We reveal the results

Commercials 30: The Top 30
Televisual reveals the Commercials 30 itself, the 30 top rated commercials production companies in the UK

Music in Motion
So what’s next for the music behind the commercials? Will it be another year in the ascendant for London Grime perhaps? Portugese house? Afro beats or the Angolan kuduro sound?

Televisual Factual Festival report
Last month saw Televisual's annual Factual Festival return to Bafta. How to stand out in a world of ever increasing viewer choice was the big theme this time. Tim Dams reports

Alison Kirkham in interview
At the Televisual Factual Festival, the BBC's controller of factual Alison Kirkham outlined the shows the corporation is looking for in the year ahead

Reports& surveys

01 The Edge
edgepicture.com
Executive director Phil Blundell
Credits My Story for British Gas/Shelter; Your Family Needs You for MTR; You Poo Too for Thames Tideway Tunnel
This year’s number one placed company, The Edge, says its past year was “extremely productive. We have worked on many interesting projects outside of our usual space. These have included films and content for major client events, as well as producing much more content for their viral potential.” The Edge sees the near future as one in which clients will continue to increase their use of social media. “We have seen an increase in clients asking for film versions specific to these platforms. Films continue to play an integral part in digital campaigns and we see ourselves doing a lot more of this type of work.”

02 Jack Morton
jackmorton.com President EMEA Julian Pullan Credits 2014 Documentary for Cannes Lions; Welcome to Glasgow for Commonwealth Games; Prudential Pan Asia Festival film for Prudential
A high point for Jack Morton was its work for the Commonwealth Games. It also says its seen a shift in the work that it’s being asked for. “The climate is getting tougher, however the work is getting more interesting... less of the traditional training and health and safety films and more branded content that seeks to entertain, use humour and intelligence.”

03 Merchantcantos
merchantcantos.com Managing partner Richard Carpenter Md Toby Low Credits HSBC Now for HSBC; IPO Animation for Alibaba; Why Mining Matters for Anglo American
Winning production company of the year at the IVCA/EVCOM awards was a big feather in its cap, says MerchantCantos. Other highlights included, “Continuing to expand and develop the HSBC Now series across the globe” and “Producing a ground breaking animation for the world’s biggest IPO (for Alibaba)”

04 Radley Yeldar
ry.com Ceo Carl Radley Credits Strategy and Brand Launch for PwC/ Booz & Co; Energy Outlook 2035 for BP; Mine of the Future for Rio Tinto
Radley Yeldar picks out the “increase in appetite and budget for 3D animation projects” alongside its traditional brand launch work as a bonus this year. It says it has also seen more “fully integrated moving image projects being commissioned, for example setting up an online TV station for one client, and developing moving Image as part of the overall online experience for another.”

05 Pretzel Films
pretzelfilms.com
Md PJ Bickford
Credits Energy is Life for Saudi Aramco; People for Bupa; New Range for Canon
“Moving office and getting away from Soho prices” has been a big plus for Pretzel as it has allowed it to be “a lot more creative,” it says. And it’s a demand for more creatively driven work that’s marked the year out. “Slowly the creativity that agencies give to their clients on their content work is seeping into direct corporate work, which is fantastic.”

06 Psona
psonafilms.com Md Katy Eyre Credits Barclays Citizenship Awards for Barclays; Brand Botswana for BBC WW; BP in Iraq for BP
Katy Eyre’s Jacaranda became a part of the Psona group this year after 27 years on its own. “This gives our clients access to a digital one-stop-shop: strategy, planning, data, web, hosting, social, in addition to the award-winning content production work of Psona Films. This is a hugely exciting development and opportunity for both ourselves and our clients.”

07 DRP Group
drpgroup.com Ceo Dale Parmenter Credits Monthly Briefing for Sainsburys; Army Engagement Programme for MoD; Innovista for Jaguar Land Rover
“The constant flow of work coming into the business,” without the traditional lulls at certain points of the year has been a highlight, says DRP. DRP also reports that it is “producing a lot of work through our digital division. The crossover between our digital and film and video division is a regular occurrence for us now as a business.”

08 One Two Four
onetwofour.com Ceo Mark Hawkins Credits Coffee vs Gangs for Kenco; The Ultimate Dinner Party for Siemens; BBC Horizons for DuPont/BBC Worldwide
Part of the Twofour Group, one of One Two Four’s big moments of the year was its “rebrand in September, which was closely followed by a huge client launch.” The company also picks out the new talent it has brought in including Director of Strategy, Sandra Peat and our new Executive Producer, Ryan Reddick.

09 Casual Films
casualfilms.com Md NY Barnaby Cook CD London Nick Francis Credits Working at AB InBev for Havas People; Early Careers for Rolls Royce; Anything But Ordinary for Ferrero
For Casual Films, 2014 saw “a large upturn in business from our New York subsidiary. Our md moving to head up this office is very exciting for us.” Closer to home a big point of pride for the company was its forward thinking academy that gives local kids from Casual’s Hackney base a chance to make it as filmmakers.

10 Tangerine
tangerine-films.co.uk Mds Gary Holder and Linda McKenzie Credits Land Rover Discovery Sport product and web films; Canon Maxify Printer launch and product films; Jaguar Boffin web films
Tangerine says its clients are now “very focused on social media and increasingly we are asked to create specific edits or content for Instagram and Vine, cut down edits for Facebook etc.” It says that this development brings it into “closer collaboration with social media, PR and experiential agencies during the planning phase of our productions” and this is now a significant industry trend. “The traditional single-edit delivery is dead. In the last 12 months we have also had a considerable number of our bigger budget launch films cut down into TVCs, which is brilliant for our clients and us.”